School of Law

Top 10 in the UK for research excellenceResearch Excellence Framework 2014

Course description

This four-year LLB law degree combines the study of law with the continued development of your existing German language skills.

The course focuses on the legal and political structure of Germany and provides you with expertise in German law.

You'll spend your third year abroad studying in the law faculty of a partner university in Germany, developing both your legal knowledge and your language skills. Returning to Sheffield for your final year, you choose from a wide range of optional modules to complete your studies.

The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers.

In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.

Learning and assessment

These figures give an indication of how you'll learn and be assessed. They're a combined average of all the years of the course. The learning and assessment percentages could vary depending on the modules you choose.

Learning

Scheduled teaching

11%

Independent study

64%

Placement

25%

Assessment

Exams/tests

45%

Coursework

54%

Practical

1%

School of Law

All our courses prepare you for the challenges of professional life. Learning to identify and address the complex legal, moral, ethical or social questions that underpin the law is key to your success here. Your teachers will be researching the very latest aspects of law and criminology. Amongst them will be practising legal professionals and winners of national awards for teaching law. Their discoveries become yours, as their research filters into teaching.

Top law firms regularly visit us to meet our students and take a hands-on approach by contributing to their wider education. They also interview our high-achieving students for jobs.

We have over 180 places for voluntary work experience, which gives you the chance to do real client work that has a positive impact in the community. You can get involved in our free legal clinic and the Miscarriages of Justice Review Centre, an opportunity to work on cases of wrongful imprisonment. You can work on our commercial pro bono project, on our criminal justice initiative, or at the courts providing help and support to individual litigants. You can also work with several local charities as a trained adviser, helping individuals with their legal problems.

Our law degrees have a strong international focus to prepare you for a career that could take you anywhere. Our study abroad scheme is the largest of its kind in the UK and includes destinations across Europe and beyond, in Australia, Hong Kong, and many others.

What our graduates do

Many of our students enter the legal profession, either as barristers or solicitors. For those planning to become solicitors, we offer an in-house Legal Practice Course. Many of our graduates secure sought-after training contracts as solicitors in top law firms and we're in the top 10 UK law schools for pupil barristers

Our former students have joined global, national and regional law firms, barristers' chambers and have become judges. Three Lord Justices of Appeal are among our former graduates and regularly visit to support us. With all the opportunities and skills on offer here, our students have also taken up careers in the criminal justice system and in a wide range of managerial professions.

Student profile

"The best part of the course was spending my third year studying abroad at a German law school. The first two years at Sheffield helped to develop my understanding of the German system and legal terminology which meant I could take full advantage of the range of modules offered abroad. In the final year, the course offers a free choice of modules which allowed me to focus on areas of particular interest."

All our LLB courses constitute a qualifying law degree. This means you'll be eligible to take the Legal Practice Course or Bar Professional Training Course for entry to the legal profession in England and Wales, either as a solicitor or barrister.